Dallas Davidson Denies Bro-Country Backlash

Dallas Davidson is one of the most prolific songwriter in Nashville, penning several of country music's recent big hits, including Randy Houser's 'Runnin' Outta Moonlight,' All About Tonight' by Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan's 'Country Girl (Shake It for Me).'

But while critics have been hinting that "bro-country," the style of music that has made Davidson successful, is going out of style, the tunesmith begs to differ.

"We're writing what people want to hear," he tells Country Aircheck. "So what's the backlash? More ticket sales? More money coming into Nashville? What's wrong with that?"

Davidson admits that many times when he's writing a song, other writers say they can't use the word "tailgate" -- a theory that he finds absurd.

"I just look at 'em and start laughing," he says. "I'll ask, 'What are you driving? The tailgate on the back of it -- have you ever sat on it? Well, why can't we sing about that? Don't millions of country fans sit in parking lots on tailgates and drink a beer, getting ready for the show?"

"But until they start making spaceships for us to drive," he adds, "I'm gonna have a tailgate, and I'm probably gonna talk about it."

Fellow hit songwriter Craig Wiseman, who co-wrote Shelton's 'Boys 'Round Here' with Davidson, agrees. He recounts a recent dinner he had with radio programmers before a sold-out Florida Georgia Line show.

“They were saying, ‘We don’t want anymore country-rock, or this hip-hop, rapping stuff,’” Wiseman recalls. “And I was sitting across the table thinking, ‘You know your job better than I do, but the fact that we’re going to this show that sold out in seven minutes seems to be a pretty good indication of the pulse of your people.’”

Not everyone is a fan of the new trend of country music, though. Newcomer duo Maddie and Tae's single, 'Girl in a Country Song,' is storming up the charts. The tune, which mocks the current trend of putting girls, tailgates and rednecks in songs, is currently in the Top 20 and climbing.

While some say the trend is indeed moving away from the bro-country movement, the charts might seem to indicate otherwise. Jason Aldean's 'Burnin' It Down' is currently at No. 1, followed by Florida Georgia Line's 'Dirt' in the No. 2 spot.